Nintendo is making a significant shift with Donkey Kong's design, a change first noticed by fans during the Mario Kart 9 gameplay showcased at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event. For years, even decades, Donkey Kong has sported the same iconic look across various titles including Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, Nintendo is now introducing a new design for the beloved character, which fans believe draws inspiration from the successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Although the revamped Donkey Kong was initially only seen in Mario Kart 9, Nintendo has since unveiled a series of merchandise featuring this new look. As reported by Nintendo Life, user cookiemaster221 shared images of the products on Reddit, commenting, "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."
History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes
by cookiemaster221 in donkeykong
The new merchandise portrays Donkey Kong with a friendlier appearance, most notably characterized by a softer, rounded brow. Reddit user SmallBlueSlime remarked, "They're giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards. Instead of making him angry, they're making him chill." Other fans expressed mixed feelings, with one saying, "They really are dead set on redesigning DK," while another lamented, "I'm gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong." However, some fans welcomed the change, with one commenting, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."
Since the brief glimpse of the redesign in Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong's new look was not fully clear, fans are eager for more. An extended look at the character in action is expected in April during a Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct.
The console reveal trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2 offered only a few hints about the new hardware, focusing primarily on its appearance. It confirmed that the Switch 2 will be mostly backwards compatible, introduced a new button on the Joy-Cons, and verified a theory about using the controller as a mouse.
